Sunday, 24 June 2012

Welcome to week 5 of the Virtual Tour. This week, I am honoured to welcome the amazing Natalie Star as our guest blogger. This week we asked, what book or author was she reading and what she felt about it. So let's see what she has to say and remember, we invite and welcome your comments.But the bigger question here is = Richelle Mead: Where is she going? What's happening in her books right now. Let's see what Natalie has to say on this one.

It’s All About Adrian

I just finished reading The Golden Lily, by Richelle Mead. I really, really, really wanted to fall in love with this book. I just couldn’t. I give it three stars.

This book is the second instalment of The Bloodlines Series – a spin-off from the Vampire Academy books. The VA series is one of my all time favourites. The first book was sort of iffy in my opinion, but it caught my attention, and I continued on. Boy, am I glad I did, Richelle Mead made me fall in love with her world and the characters within. The Vampire Academy series as a whole is a five-star read.

When Richelle put out there would be a spin-off I was out of my mind. Let me explain why.

Such as many of the young adult books I read, there is a love triangle. In the original series the triangle was between the narrator Rose, her protégé Dimitri, and Adrain. Poor Adrian lost out because Rose and Dimitri were destined to be together. Now I didn’t always think that throughout the storyline. I pulled for one or the other at different times; only in the end did I see that Rose and Dimitri belonged together forever.

Now in Bloodlines it’s time for Adrian to find love. Or is it? We shall see. At the end of book two there is a very good possibility that it might happen in the future, but I have to wait along with everyone else to find out. The next in the series, The Indigo Spell, isn’t due out until February 2013!

So why did I rate The Golden Lily so low?

Adrian is kind of just there, I know he isn’t the main character, but he’s isn’t anything major to write home about. He just doesn’t have his oomph; I mean he has his humour, but not his usual snark. It’s like he lost his mojo. Maybe that’s how he’s supposed to be, it’s only been a few months since Rose left him for Dimitri. But while Adrian isn’t himself, the book also reads slowly. There isn’t as much action as in the previous books by Mead. And in this one the narrator, Sydney is (dare I say) sort of boring. I love her, but she was more exciting in the previous stories. I hope she spunks up because I do plan on seeing this series through to the end. I’m a devoted fan.

Are you familiar with Richelle Mead's work? If so have you read this book and what are your thoughts?
What book or author currently has you wanting more?

About Author Natalie Star

Natalie Star is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, The Keeper. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can be found with her husband supporting their two children on the soccer fields. Or maybe running around with her camera taking photos while camping and/or hiking. Or lastly, and most probable – she’s watching movies on Netflix while simultaneously perusing Facebook.Their family resides in the state of Virginia along with their old-unintelligent-diabetic cat named Lucky.

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Welcome to week 4 of the tour. This week I have author Amadi Kyym as my guest on Ravaging Thoughts. Today she will be revealing to you whom her favourite author is and why. So without any further delay, let's dive in and divulge the small treat of influence this author has presented us today.

Two For One Sale - My Favorite Author(s)
By Amadi Kyym

My all time favourite author is Tom Clancy. By reading his novels,
which really didn't read like novels, but true life. I've been turned
on to military, spy and political thrillers ever since.

I
started reading his first book “The Hunt for Red October” because of a
co-worker of mine. Barbara's husband had served in the Marines in Nam
(Vietnam) with Tom Clancy and they were great friends. He had just
published new book ( the aforementioned), and my co-worker came in to
hawk it.

“You gotta go out, buy, and read this guys book! He
writes great stuff!” she told us. Then she went on to tell the history
of the book.

Apparently the facts in the books were so real
that Mr. Clancy was visited and questioned by the Three Letter Agencies,
The CIA, FBI, and The Secret Service. Why? According to Barbara they
wanted to know where he had gotten such sensitive information. He
honestly informed them that the information was available under the
Freedom of Information Act, and all of it had been previously
“declassified”. Therefore it had been deemed safe for public
consumption.

In other words, back then (in the late 1980's
and early 1990's) he merely went to the library and spent some quality
time with the card files, reference books and microfiche, the old
fashioned way! I can just imagine our young digitalized teens trying to
do that now.

I went right out and bought “The Hunt For Red
October”, read it and loved it from day one. I've been a fan of Tom
Clancy ever since.

I'm also a fan of Anne Rule. She
investigates and writes true crime novels. She is the cause of me
staying up late at night into the wee hours with my hair standing on
end. It's through her I became interested in law enforcement and
criminal investigations. You can say this helped influence my career as
a police clerical.

Who is or who are your favourite
authors? What books have you recently read by them? Tell us in a brief
paragraph how said author(s) have influenced your life.

Bio

I, Amadi Kyymm (aka Nanci E. Maynard) am a writer. I
originally started writing for my first love: Star Trek, then WRPGs
(Written Role Playing Games), and blogging. I'm currently working on my
first novel, “The Knight Riders” which I hope to publish soon.
Additionally, I am a mild mannered woman, working a not so mild mannered
job as a police clerical. I'm a life long New York City resident, and
live with my two cats Biscuit and Spiral.

Sunday, 10 June 2012

Week three of the Virtual Blog tour welcomes a wonderful, spirited lady who is a friend to the people, a friend to me. Please hold out your arms and welcome Kim Mutch Emerson as this week's Guest Blogger for Ravaging Thoughts. I pre warn you all, she can be a bit mad but you just HAVE to read her post! For this week, our guest had to write a post that they would have written for their own blog.

You probably think I am joking, but nope. I
wear a bowler hat when I write. It’s a tradition left over from when the days
of my early childhood; a six years old bent over the little folding table I
adopted for my desk. I also wore red plastic sunglasses that I poked the lenses
out. I have no clue why I thought writers wore hats and glasses, but in my mind
it symbolized the genius behind the words that created magical worlds and bigger-than-life
characters. There was nothing I wanted more than to have my book in the school
library. The reasoning behind that was a deeper desire. I wanted to give other
people the same experience I had when I had the first really good book read to
me. I wanted to inspire love, determination, victory over evil, hope,
imagination, and dreams. I was an odd child, I know.

We've all done this before

At any rate, today I am thinking about
dreams, I am wondering what dreams people had when they were children. I know a
lot of other girls my age dreamt of the day they would be mothers, some wanted
to be nurses, one wanted to be a banker.

What did you want to do with your life?
Have you fulfilled that dream? I left my dream behind for many years. I didn’t
stop writing; I just stopped dreaming about sending my writing out into the
world. And then one day I said, “It’s time.”

If you have left your dream behind, what is
stopping you? Is it fear of failure or fear of success? Is it fear of rejection
or too much attention?

I would love to discuss this and perhaps
together we can break through that barrier.

Author, KD Emerson was born (or is that
hatched) several years ago. We won’t go into how long it has been because she
has this fantasy that she is still a teenager off to conquer the world. She has
a passion for the written word and assisting other writers in becoming the best
they can be. She also loves to promote others and cheer them on to victory.
Follow her on twitter @MstrKoda or you can find her at www.masterkoda.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kimmutch.emerson

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

Who would have thought that it would be so difficult to come up with a
truly work able idea for a Young Adult short story based on the theme
of All things Paranormal. This is a huge genre with several workable
lines, but that doesn’t mean each line is right for the writer. I mean,
this is supposed to be my genre. The Paranormal and all things there
connected to are what I love, and is to a degree, what I am involved in
when not writing or working.

So then why is it so hard to come up with an idea that is….
A) Original…
And…
B) Captivating enough to keep the reader wanting more.

If you are able to find out that answer then could you come and seek
me out, where then you can tell me what it is that I am here. It’s silly
really. I have all these other idea’s, and do I write in the paranormal
genre. But the idea’s I have, I know will extend way beyond the set
criteria for the intended short story.

There is the Idea of writing about Vampire/Lycan hybrids – now before
you say anything on this matter, I know this hybrid aspect has been
covered in the Underworld Films. But that’s not the direction of the
thought within my mind.

The other Idea i have begins with a girl running through the woods,
following the path of a wolf whom is leading her away from danger. But… I
can’t use this one as it’s part of the main base of the novel I’m
planning to write in November.

So who would have thought that a mind that is full of different
idea’s for different novels and story’s, is as blind to the prospect of
finding one that will work for a short story as shadow is in the
dark.I’m not panicking though, I mean there’s 5 months before the last
day of the deadline, and in that time I’m sure I could formulate some
ripple or another and place it down on paper. 5 months is a while away
yet isn’t it? …

Hold on… 5 months… Isn’t that when NaNoWriMo begins in November? Okay
so perhaps I was wrong on the panic stakes… I am panicking (slightly).
You see I keep building up my work load that is then only pushing other
matters backwards. I have a novel waiting for me to attend to its edits
and another waiting for me to grace its presence in order to finish it.

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Well, the challenge has been set, the theme laid down and the gloves
are now well and truly off. Only, I haven’t yet decided the context of
what I will be writing about for said such Challenge. Wait, I haven’t
mentioned this challenge yet have I?

*Rewind 10 steps* Okay now let’s start again. I am an avid follower
of a wonderful book related page on Facebook. This said page has just
recently announced the theme of their new charity short story contest.
An with it the opening date for sending in those short stories, as well
as the closing date.

I have 5 months in which to write, edit and send off a short story consisting of 5000 to 7500 words. It must be YA genre and there is a
specific theme for this event, chosen by the page’s followers.

But now the issue becomes questionable on what I will write about and
how I will run with it. I have some idea’s in mind but they have been
hovering for a while. Basically, I want to take them longer than the
short story length which means I need to come up with something else.
Paranormal based is the theme that suits me, but now I am finding myself
seeming lost for ideas for this theme.

Monday, 4 June 2012

The First Choice for NaNo 2012 is Braevar Forest. The following is the Synopsis:

Destiny is one of the last few known descendants of
Brahameer, whose very bloodline is capable of telepathic communication
with the world around them. Whilst unable to communicate freely with
Humanity, the Animal Kingdom is more willing and forthcoming. A small settlement resides in the heart of Braevar Forest
and it is within this pocket of civilization that destiny can be found.
Her family bloodline has long since been forgotten in her mind, but not
from those that surround her. Until one afternoon, she finds herself
alone in Braevar Forest, facing her biggest fear straight on, straight
into the eyes of a snarling black wolf.It is here that new friendships are born.What will this bring to her, and what will it mean for her community?The road ahead is uncertain, as her life hangs in the balance of fate.Will Destiny live to tell her story?

The Second Choice for NaNo 2012 is Shadow Of Death. The following is the opening:

‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil.’ The words brought comfort to Michael as he
sought shelter from the threatening storm and consolidated his thoughts.
He had left everything behind him. His home, his friends and his life,
but he couldn’t return to what he once knew. All Michael could do, was
to keep pushing forward into the unknown and through the shadows in the
valley. His thoughts now were his only friends, no matter how absurd or
obscure they might be. Though they brought him little comfort as he
considered the reason for taking flight from all he knew. Nor could they
answer for his apparent state of insanity. His friends wanted him to
get help, but no-one could help him, he had to work through it alone.

Character background (basis work on going)
Michael is branded, literally. A marking upon his skin for all eternity
from those he considered to be close to him. The resulting factor is
that he had to flee his home and remains the reason for his
unwillingness to return. His friends pleaded with him over time to get
some help for his apparent streak of recent insanity but he refused and
they took matters into their own hands…
Having said that, there is now another option worth considering, the
title of which is still unknown but that option is as follows:

Startled, Kaila shot up and out of bed as a shrill scream
reverberated through the morning air. At first she assumed the sound
had escaped from her very own lungs, as her dreams tormented her. With
unseen hands pulling at her, tearing her apart. Scorching her soul with
burning embers of coal, those very memories haunted her, endlessly.But then she heard it once more, closer, almost shaper
the second time around. Her heart pounding against her chest in a
thundering pace, as if it were telling her not to go venture towards the
window, but her mind and body had other ideas. She soon found herself
peering out over the horizon, searching in reluctant anticipation for
any clues as to what or who had been responsible for those eardrum
shattering screams.
As you can see, none of them are greatly detailed and as such, I
can’t continue working on them if I want to do them for NaNo. That is,
unless I want to be a rebel. I think perhaps continuing the character
building on each would be the best way forward for now, and allow them
to take me where they need to go. Then when November arrives, I’ll at
least have a strong foundation of information to work with.

Sunday, 3 June 2012

Week two of the Virtual Blog Tour and boy do I have a treat in store for you! Not only do I have a superb Guest for today, but she has also given me the honour of helping her to do her Brand NEW Cover Reveal. Today's Guest is not all that new to the field of writing, but she is due to release her very first full length novel. At such a young age, she knew that this is what she wanted for herself and she has made that dream come true. It's my pleasure to welcome Dominique Goodall, and today's posting is all about music and the songs that inspire the writer.

I'm rather odd compared to a lot of writers. If asked to compile a
playlist for Echoes of Winter, I'd be unable to- I find music an awful
distraction while I write. That's not to say I haven't listened to music while
writing but even then it tended towards stuff I could sing to while writing
light music that's rather chilled out, rather like myself. I've always been
that way, so musically minded that I've struggled to do other things when I can
hear music.

I blame being a singing and a dancing person, so whenever I'm allowed to
do it, but if I WAS questioned about a song to describe each of the main
characters...they'd have rather odd songs, with a few sharing each other’s.

·Teira and Morte would share - Now I'm That Chick, by Livvi Frank

·Amore would be something by Christina Aguilera

·Convel would be something in the Blue's style, mellow and chilled out
for the most part.

They are the only four characters for whom music, or a musical genre
jump out at me - as I said, the book has no real musical influences, and I
doubt any book I write in the future will, either. I've always loved music,
just really do find it an almost annoying to write to. Constantly needing to
shift and change the music just as I fall into my good point.

And here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for... Well I know I certainly have - The soon to be released (no date yet) cover for Echoes Of Winter! .... Just look at this - How fantastic is that? I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have been given this honour of revealing this to you!

Dominique Goodall is the author of the soon to be released Echoes of
Winter, book one in the Seasons of the Wolf series and a self-confessed wolf
addict. She has currently been published in two anthologies by Crushing Hearts
and Black Butterfly Publishing and is currently working on getting herself
better known by sending in manuscripts for as many different anthologies as she
possibly can.

As much as she loves to admit it, she never will be able to count her
wolf stuff- there's nothing left for her to be truly able to collect without
her own home.

About Me

Jennifer spent many years without daring to lift a pen, without writing a word that wasn't forced. That was however, until the year 2008 arrived. It dawned the starting of a new age, an age where love and passion for writing arrived. She spent that year and the following two, writing just over 250 poems. It was these that kick started her passion to take it further. When 2011 arrived, so too did the urge to expand her depth and level and her first novel was born. That novel is still on going. Others since then have birthed ideas, so dare I say – Watch this space.